The Grimms Mate
by Child Of Old
Summary: Nick is seriously considering whether he wants to stay in Portland after his split from a cheating Juliet. But then SHE comes along. Beatrix. And she has answers. Unfortunately, she also raises a lot of questions. Not only that, but she's also a Grimms Mate. More specifically, she's his mate. And somebody wants this Grimms mate dead.And Nick will do anything to protect whats his...
1. Chapter 1 :Beatrix: Lovin' The Car

_Chapter One: Beatrix_

**Just to let you know this is in my imaginary world where Nick has dumped Juliet for cheating on him and is considering what to do about Renard. I looove Nick and Juliet together but, for the sakes of the story line, I'm going to have to split them up for now.**

-0-

I could see him, anger, red and hot, rolling off him in waves. He was with his partner, the cute black guy. Hank, I think I'd heard somebody call him. I might've liked this Hank, way back when. Then again, I could've liked this Grimm. What a mistake that would've been.

They were coming out of the victims house, and the Grimm was waving his hands up and down in frustration and his voice was loud as he yelled at Hank. Hank, patiently, tried to placate the Grimm but it was having none of it, being about as subtle as a nuclear bomb.

"I _know _he did it, Hank!" He was shouting. "Somebody has been leading me around by the nose, dropping little clues and hints, always leading me to the true killer. And this time these little clues and hints point to _him_."

I watched as Hank placed his gun back in its holster.

"Oh, yeah? And who has been dropping these clues and hints, hey Nick? What if they've been leading you around just to trip you up this time and leave you in a vulnerable position!"

I tilted my head to admire Hank from the darkness. I was up high on the roof of the house opposite, dressed all in black (of course) and watching them. The human was cleverer than I had previously assumed. But of course I had known humans could be clever, but somehow I had assumed because of his association with the Grimm, that this one would not be. I wouldn't make that mistake again.

However, just because he was clever didn't mean he was right. He had come up with many possible theory's that the Grimm hadn't thought up yet.

The Grimm paused, as if trying to think this through. He thought for a moment before shaking his head wearily.

"Oh, I dunno. I'm too tired. Too many nights sleeping on that damn couch when Juliet and I..."

Hank's tone and entire body posture softened as he leaned forward to slap his Grimm on the shoulder.

"Yeah, that break up must've been tough. You've been together for so long. It's probably taken it out of you. Go home, rest. We'll talk in the morning."

The Grimm looked up at his partner gratefully, and I was surprised to see the genuine thankfulness and companionship I saw in its face. I frowned. This Grimm made me curious. Unlike the others I had encountered, this one appeared to have a soul.

"Thanks Hank. I'll see you tomorrow." The Grimm thumped his friend on the back (The traditional macho male farewell) and turned for his car.

He had a nice car. I admired his car. I had no wish to hurt it.

I hit the pavement across the street from the police with a soft thud, quiet enough that they didn't hear it, nor did anybody notice me. I felt that gratifying sense of power I often did when this happened. I still was happy with the way I had so quickly adapted to my skills. To my skin. To _me_.

I trod my way carefully along the pavement, following the Grimms movements as he unlocked his car and slid into the drivers seat. I growled in annoyance. Stupid Americans and their driving on the wrong side. I could've easily slipped into the passenger seat from where I was on the pavement had I been at home. Now I had to go around the whole car and risk being seen.

I sighed before shrugging. Ah, well. I liked a challenge, if only a minor one.

I managed to manoeuvre my way around the sleek car, new since he had split from his girlfriend. _Correction_. I mentally corrected myself. _Since he had split from his mate._ I was trying out this new language and was finding that I wasn't well suited to it yet.

I ran my fingers tips lightly along the paint work before opening the door and slipping inside. He hadn't even turned on the engine, his head resting wearily on the head rest, his eyes closed. Big mistake, had I been there to kill him.

His eyes shot open when I opened the door and he whipped his head around to stare at me as I settled myself. He opened his mouth to say something, to scream or to shout or just to talk I couldn't be sure. But before he could, I place my index finger against his soft, plump lips, effectively shushing him.

"Shot gun?" I offered with a grin.

He wasn't taking the bait. He was spluttering and mumbled around my finger, but not kicking up a big enough fuss that it would've brought attention to me.

"Relax." I rolled my eyes and removed my finger. "I'm not here to kill you. I'm not vesen (**Sorry, don't know how to spell that)**. I'm not human, either, actually. Basically put, I'm you."


	2. Chapter 2: Nick: Darkness and delight

_**Chapter Two: Nick**_

I stared at the woman in front of me, who's eyes gleamed out of the darkness of her silhouette and who's dark head was haloed by the street lamp just outside the car. Something within me jarred. I felt this insane urge to just sit there and stare at her. I wasn't scared. If anything, I felt more reassured than I had in months, maybe even years.

She slowly smiled at me, and her eyes gleamed even brighter. Blue, her eyes were. An amazing royal blue.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" She asked in a bored tone. "Clearly, _you _have all the time in the world. Unfortunately, I do not."

I blinked, and stared at her eyes harder. Had they just changed colour? To green? A vivid emerald green?

She clicked her fingers out towards the wind shield of the car, trying to get me to focus.

"Oi, buddy, focus. I don't have all day."

I swear my mind was going fuzzy. Was that a British accent I heard? That gorgeous, soft, flowing English accent that was just so adorable and proper?

She rolled her eyes, still an emerald green, and slumped back against the back seat of the chair.

"Geez, you Grimms." She grumbled, fluffing her hair and tipping her head back wearily. Her eyes stayed open though, and alert. "You have the attention span of a gnat." She aggressively snapped her fingers at the last word, shaking her head like she couldn't believe it. "I mean, you're suppose to be the ultimate killing machines of the world. I feel you've let me down, Grimm. No, I feel cheated. Used."

Her voice, still _very _gorgeous and British, now took on a mocking, teasing tone. And I loved it.

I didn't know what to say. I could only stare at her. Something inside me jarred once more. I no longer wanted to just stare at her. I wanted to be close to her.

Uncomfortable now, I shifted.

"Whats with calling me Grimm? I thought you were a Grimm."

_Ha. Nice, Nick._ I thought to myself smugly. _You do not sound like a suddenly obsessed person who wants to run there fingers up and down a random woman's skin and not allow any other man to even look at her._

Yep. I still did not sound like a suddenly obsessed person.

She sighed and sat back up and hunched over, hunching her shoulders and lacing her fingers together as she rested her elbows onto her knees. Somehow, she shrugged.

"I said, basically put I'm _you_. I never said I was a Grimm. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what I am." She peeked at me out of the corner of her eye, and I shifted towards her, trying to be subtle about it. "_They_ know, they just don't want to let me in on this little fact. No, _that _would be too easy. _Go find the Grimm who lives in Portland_. They say. _Its important for you, him and the rest of the world_. They say. _By the way, you have to live and work with the Grimm until we give you orders no longer to do so_. Bastards." She suddenly swung her head right around to face me, her eyes sharp, gleaming and flashing with meanness and spite. Was that anger? Her eyes were suddenly a very bright red. "And for fuck sake, _STOP MOVING CLOSER TO ME!_ What the hell are you, a sick pervert?"

I stopped suddenly. How the hell had she noticed? But now she was moving aside, opening the car door as quietly as she had come in and slipping out into the darkness. Her clothes were already allowing her to blend in with the surrounding blackness.

"No, wait, stop!" I called, completely forgetting the crime scene and people that weren't too far away from the car and probably could not see the girl. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. I just felt...well, never mind. Look, I'm sorry. Please get back in the car. I didn't mean to scare you."

Her eyes dimmed, but still gleamed, and her fingers on the car door loosened. I narrowed my eyes on the dents she'd left in the car, and she too turned to stare at them. She cursed.

"Damn it. Why does this always happen?" She demanded, placing her fingers on the other side of the dents. Very carefully, her fingers strained and her face turned white at the effort but she managed to push the dents back into place. She tenderly stroked the car with the very tips of her finger tips. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I love you." She told my car.

Then, suddenly, her fingers were gone. She turned back to me like nothing had happened. She flipped her hair.

"I'm not scared of you. I was just worried I'd got into a paedophiles car. I mean, how old are you, seriously though? You look much older than me anyway, but I also heard Grimms can't age. So you could be one thousand, for all I know."

I chuckled, feeling that tight sense of anxiety leave me all at once.

"No, I'm pretty sure we can age." I wanted to ask her more questions as well, but didn't want to scare her off. I decided to stick to safer ground. "Please get in the car? Tell me your name, maybe your age? We can chat, since you're meant to be living with me. You could tell me who actually sent you?"

Opps. If ever there were a question that would scare her off, that was it. But she didn't look like she was about to take flight. If anything, she looked more comfortable. She grinned at me.

"Sorry, Grimm, baby, but I gotta slide." She was imitating somebody, I didn't know who, and the accent sounded funny with her thick British accent coming through behind it. And when she called me Baby, my entire body growled with possessiveness and desire. What the fuck was wrong with me?

"But don't you worry, I'll be back to see you later." She promised and flung her dark brown hair over her shoulder. "Didn't think you'd get rid of me that easy, did ya? I've gotta a job to do with you."

She glanced at her wrist, at a black leather watch I hadn't even realized was there.

"Your name, before you go?" Was I actually pleading? And was I actually going to let her live in my house, despite the face I didn't know her at all?

"My names Beatrix. Thats all you need to know about me at the moment. You wanna find out more, get your friend, the _Wesen,_ Monroe, to dig some more up on me. Maybe he can tell me some more as well. No use going to your human friend, Hank. I won't show up on any database any mortals got yet." She winked at me. "Now, I really gotta be going. I can't be late otherwise...well, lets just say I'm rather fond of the position my head is currently in. Catch ya later, Baby."

And she had vanished into the night.

-0-

_**I'm so sorry, this isn't as good as the first chapter, but I just wanted to get it out there to set the scene about how Nick's feeling and how Beatrix looks from his point of view. I'm sorry for it being crap!**_


	3. Chapter 3:Nick:Not Sweetness and Light

_**Chapter 3: Nick**_

"Could she have cast a spell on me or something?" I asked, scraping my hand through my now unruly thatch of black hair. I was still rocking a serious bed-head, even after hardly sleeping the previous night. Every time I closed my eyes I saw her ever changing ones, and in those precious few minutes I actually did fall asleep all I could feel was her hand running down the length of my body, her body beneath mine, squealing, panting, gasping.

I hadn't had those types of thoughts since Juliette. I hadn't had those types of dreams ever. Nothing as vivid as the feelings this girl has inspired into me.

Frustrated, I started pacing up and down Monroe's living room, whilst Hank and Monroe sat on the sofa in front of me. Hank was snacking on Potato chips, Monroe was leafing through The Book. Yes, it had got to the stage where I had actually allowed The Book to leave the caravan.

"What? You thinks she's _Wesen_?" Hank asked through a mouth full of chips. He turned to Monroe. "These are nice, where'd you get them?"

Monroe nodded, pleased.

"Yeah, they're organic. My cousin makes them on his—"

"Guys!" I interrupted, almost growling. "Focus!"

Monroe turned back to look at me as Hank buried his head in the bowel of chips once more.

"Sorry, buddy, but I don't think I can help you. She doesn't sound like any kind of _Wesen _I know." He snorted with laughter and stood up, heading towards his kitchen. "If anything, she sounds like a myth."

I growled and stopped pacing.

"She's not a myth! I saw her in my car last night! She is _very _real!"

Monroe was chopping something in his kitchen.

"No, no, no, you misunderstand me! I mean she sounds like a creature _from _our myths. Our fairytale stories. You know the ones."

Hank looked up from his chips, suddenly interested, just as I lent against the door frame to Monroe's kitchen, watching him mash up some kind of red pepper paste.

"What? What fairy tale? What does she sound like?"

Monroe laughed and shook his head.

"Oh, just some creature who was suppose to be beautiful and irresistible to _Wesen _and Grimm alike. Supposedly they was strong, fast, powerful and could see _Wesen_ whenever they wanted too, even if the _Wesen_ were trying to hide. They called these people the _Grimms Mate _because they often worked with the Grimms, and the Grimms often fell in love with them, and they the Grimms. The Grimms and _The Grimms Mate _were said to be soul mates. They made the Grimms power stronger. Quite often they were women."

My blood suddenly ran cold. The Grimms Mate. I ran forward, catching myself on the counter before I went skidding into the cupboards.

"When was the last supposed sighting of these _Grimms mates_?" I demanded fiercely. "_When_?!"

Monroe looked up, astounded, and started to back away.

"I dunno." He shrugged, stuck on the urgency in my tone. "Some time around the fifteenth or sixteenth century. Then there was no record of them, supposedly because they were collected by their original creator or something. But, Nick, they don't exist."

Suddenly, the door swung wide open. Knee high leather boots stepped into the glistening kitchen, making a clean clicking sound across the floor. My mystery girl, Beatrix, appeared in the kitchen. She placed her hands on her hips.

"Oh, I dunno." She said. "That sounds _very _like me. And let me assure you, I _do _exists_._" She looked at me, right in the eyes, and they were black now. The deepest darkest black. "You wanna start talking, Grimm, baby?"

-0-

She had left instantly after Monroe had stuttered out his explanation, the same one he had given me. And when he had finished, she hadn't looked happy.

"You talk shit." She spat at his feet, but he had been so being staring dazedly at her I don't think he'd noticed the viciousness in her voice. "Absolute shit. You falling for this, Grimm?" She demanded of me, and I hadn't been able to reply because she was already striding for the door.

"I gotta go somewhere. Be somewhere. See some people." She paused at the kitchen door. "Kill some people. Oooh, yeah. Heads are gonna roll tonight. You'll be lucky, _Bluebod_, if it isn't yours."

"Wait!" I'd lunged for her, grabbing her hand and spinning her around to face me. Electricity zipped through my hand, shocking me, forcing me to tug her closer, right against my body. I could feel her, the softness of her stomach, the great big roundness of her breasts, see the fullness of her lips.

"Where do you think you're going?" I asked her huskily. She seemed a bit dazed too. I could've sworn she was pressing herself tighter against me. "I thought you said we were gonna work together, live together."

"Oh, we are. I finish a job, no matter how shitty the lies they might tell me might be." Her voice was dreamy and dazed. Not her usual confident, strong voice at all.

I bent my head closer to hers almost involuntary. The molten hot desire that was coursing through my veins and the electricity that shocked me at her touch was too much for me. I needed to have her. I wanted her.

"They might not be lies." My breath fanned her lips.

Her eyes dropped to my lips, before darting back up to my eyes. Lips, eyes, lips, eyes.

She nodded slowly.

"Oh, they're lies." Suddenly, her fingers were tunnelling through my hair and she shoved her lips on mine.

Her lips were red, soft. I could've sworn I was bruising them as I kissed her back, hard. Our tongues tangled in a battle of wills and my body pressed hers into the counter, crowding her, claiming her. I completely forgot about my two friends in the other room, one who was probably listening (Monroe) and one who was probably looking (Hank).

Suddenly, she shoved me back with strength I hadn't known she possessed. We were both breathing heavily and I stumbled as she pushed me.

Her eyes locked on mine as she smiled, her lips bruised from _my _touch.

"Catch you later, baby." She murmured through bruised, tingly lips. And then she was well and truly gone.

Monroe whistled as he strolled into his kitchen, slapping me, hard, on the back.

"Wow." He shook his head and whistled again. "Just...wow. That is one heck of a woman. If you don't want her, I'll have her."

My neck snapped around. My eyes burned. Some deep, unconventional, growling voice that wasn't mine emerged from deep inside me.

"No!" I yelled in the growly voice. "She is mine! Only mine!"

Hank peered around the doorway and froze. Monroe started to back away.

"Nick." Hank started. "Your eyes are red."


	4. Chapter 4:Beatrix:Past And Present

_**Chapter Four: Beatrix**_

Things were getting out of control and I didn't like the way it made me feel. Impatient, I shoved a hand through my mass of dark hair and snorted out a breath. _Completely _out of hand. I mean, he was old! Well, at least ten years older than me, and that would make him thirty two! I had never felt so much lust and desire for somebody so quickly in my entire life.

What the hell was wrong with me?

He couldn't know. Not yet. Nobody could. Hell, I couldn't even properly get it myself.

"Bella." A voice boomed. "You are back so soon. Care to partake in our festivities this evening?"

I spun on my heel and glared at my father, who stood in her regal robes with his crown atop of his head. With his big right hand he was gesturing grandly to the line of chained up prisoners, each with their own signs of beatings, who shivered and shook as my eyes fell upon them. I watched them all carefully, and those who didn't avoid my eyes shook with fright.

"Both _Wesen _and mortal, daddy? My, we must be desperate." My tone had an acidic bite to it. Even I could hear it. My father said nothing, staring impassively at me.

I rolled my eyes and moved them away from the prisoners who slumped with relief.

"No, thanks. I've got to go to the Grimms house, get things set up. Don't want him thinking for himself now. I think I've got him at his most vulnerable."

_And he's got me when I'm most weak and vulnerable_. I added silently, but didn't say it aloud.

"I don't like you doing this, Bellatrixia." My father snapped. "I don't like it at all."

My eyes shot to him and I tossed my head defiantly.

"I'm sorry, I must've missed the moment I asked for your opinion." I snapped at him. "You no longer control me, father. You cannot dictate to me what I do or don't do. You gave up that right when you _sold _me like I was some common slave."

"Bellatrixia, I think that is a bit harsh." His voice boomed and resonated with command but I ignored it. Inside, he was just a weak old fool. "I did _not _sell you—"

"Ha!" I barked out a laugh, cutting him off. "What would you call it? And my name is _not _Bellatrixia. Its Beatrix. I changed that when you sold me as well. Bellatrixia is the name of a princess. You made it quite clear that I am not."

We were silent for a long time, and I paused to admire the room. It was grand and regal, and off looking, much like my family and the rest of the palace. It was covered in gold and silver, and objects seemed to randomly glitter. That used to enchant me as a child. Back when everything was normal. Back when I didn't have to fight for survival. Back when I was me.

"You've become cold." My father observed in a sad voice. "Hard."

I looked at him mutely for a moment, before regally inclining my head.

"You try being sold to those people." I shrugged. "Try keeping your conscience and your mortality whilst you live with them. You can't. Its an impossibility. Loose your mortality and soul and you live. Keep it and you die. Really, daddy, its that simple."

His eyes seemed to be glistening as though they were tearful. I didn't feel any stirring of emotion inside of me. Not when I had when I had felt the Grimm being in such pain. Not when I had felt him close to me. Then, my mortality had returned. I had to remember to keep that in check. I had people to protect, and being all mushy gushy wasn't going to help them.

"We all miss you." Father started. "All of us, even the servants and slaves. Your siblings cry for you most nights."

Now that pricked my interest. I glanced at the family portrait. The one they had had made just before I had left. I noticed there were no pictures of any new additions anywhere in the palace.

"Do the younger ones even remember me?" I murmured.

Did I care if they did?

"Of course they remember you." My father rushed to reassure me. "Who could forget you?"

One of the prisoners collapsed, and a servant ran to pick them up. We were not unkind. We understood they were tired and exhausted. Soon, I was sure, they would be free.

My father swallowed, and I knew what was coming. I steeled myself.

"Please come home, darling." He begged, and now the tears were out in full force. "We all miss you. You are doing dangerous work. Working with a Grimm, for heavens sake! Why, thats bound to get you killed!"

I smiled grimly at him.

"Thats kind of the idea."

He ignored my provocative comment.

"Your mother aches for you. She has not spoken to me since you left except to shout at me, and I have not been within fifteen yards of her since you left either."

I made a face at him.

"Aw, poor baby. No naughty fun for you. What a shame. You must be so _hurt_." I felt my eyes turn red, then black. "You know what really hurts? Waking up in the middle of the night, being dragged out out your home by people you don't know whilst your father looks on. What hurts is being thrown in a cold cell aged just sixteen and tortured for days on end whilst they wait for you to come into your powers. What hurts is being _raped_" I screamed the word. "whilst knowing your father sold you too this hell. That what hurts, daddy. You don't know the meaning of the word."

His eyes widened, and his fists clenched.

"I didn't know they raped you." He admitted quietly.

I let out a snort of quiet laughter.

"Oh, I wasn't raped. Sure, I had to give the odd blow job or hand job, let them feel me up once in a while but no, I wasn't raped. Somebody else of our acquaintance was though. I bet you can guess who." I stared at him coldly.

He didn't reply, and I shook my head in disgust at him.

"You're pathetic."

I didn't know why I still came to these things. I didn't know why I still felt the urge to see him.

I slowly turned on my heel and started for the door. My feet clipped nicely against the tiled floor.

"I'm so sorry!" He suddenly cried out, and there was a crack in his voice. "I didn't mean it to happen, I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!" He was crying really hard now, and I heard the thump as his knees hit the floor. "Please. I miss you. I'm so sorry!"

There was a pause as I reached the doors and he waited to see what I would do. I carried on without hesitation.

"I think you're mistaking me for somebody who cares."

-0-

When I arrived at the Grimms place, it was later then I'd thought and he was fast asleep in his bed. He looked so peaceful. So harmless. For a moment, I wished I didn't know better.

I slung my small rucksack of things into the guest room, fixed myself a sandwich and some crisps (I think American's called them chips?), and drunk a glass of water before feeling calm enough to look at myself in the mirror. There my eyes were, a nice, calming royal blue.

I crept upstairs and peeked in on the Grimm. Still very much asleep. Thank god he wasn't a snorer. I don't think my sensitive ears could've stood it.

As I got changed for bed, I noticed my overly fat body in the full length mirror, and realized my eyes had lightened from a royal blue to a blue that was so light it was almost white. A tear trickled down my face and I sniffled. Glancing around, I closed the bedroom door and locked it. I lay down on the bed, snuggling into the covers and wrapping them like a cocoon around my body. I buried my head in my pillow. And sobbed my heart out until I had exhausted myself to the point of sleep. When I woke up my face was still wet and stiff from the salty tears, and they were still trickling down my cheeks. I could hear the Grimm moving around downstairs and I desperately wanted to go down there, hug him, seek some comfort from him. I knew he could give me comfort. But I didn't.

How pathetic was I?

Very slowly, I allowed myself to roll over and stare up at the ceiling. He probably had no idea I was even in the house yet. My tears eventually stopped. I felt my strength come back to me.

My phone vibrated on the side desk and flashed at me twice. I didn't want to pick it up, but I knew I'd have to eventually.

"Hello?" I picked up the phone.

"Hello, Beatrix." The voice was low and slow, deep and terrifying.

I sighed and scraped a hand down my weary face.

"Wassup boss?"

"I see you have started living with the Grimm. Well, work starts today. He's going be called in on a homicide. You are going to be going in with him. I have already confirmed it with Renard."

"Do I have any choice in the matter?"

"Not unless you have a fond wish to die."

"Gotcha. Gonna go on a homicide with the crazy, perverted Grimm. Fun times. Let the party go on."

The phone droned as they put the phone down on me and I sighed wearily. Sitting upright and swingingly my legs out of the bed, I went to the door, unlocked it and stuck my head out of it.

"Get ready, Grimm, somebody's died and this time it ain't my fault!" I yelled down the stairs. "And we've gotta go solve it, buddy boy!"


	5. Chapter 5: Beatrix: Murdered Body

_Chapter Five: Beatrix_

The dirt beneath my feet made me restless, and I tried to stop myself from shifting from side to side. The Grimm, beside me, was also restless, tossing his head like some kind of horse and glancing at me every few seconds.

"Tell me again how you got into my house." He murmured to me, subtly turning his body towards me but keeping his head up and scanning the surrounding area. I felt my nostrils flare as a very slight breeze picked up, swirling the scents around.

"I've already told you." I murmured, shifting my body weight to my other foot and turning my head slightly. My eyes narrowed on a slight gap in the trees that surrounded the area. "I used the front door."

He shifted again, closer.

"I want to know the other part, and you know it."

I moved my head very slowly away from the forest to look up at him. I gazed into his eyes.

"Relax, Grimm, baby." I told him softly. "If I wanted to kill you, trust me. You'd be dead."

He grinned. A cocky, self-satisfied, smug smile.

"Many people have told me that. Those people are now in unmarked graves." He informed me.

I moved my gaze away from him again, this time focusing on the small man in uniform that was heading directly towards us.

"Yes, I heard about that." I muttered, tutting slightly. "An unmarked grave though, that really is quite disrespectful. Good job they're not there anymore. I don't think I could've lived with it."

He stiffened beside me, and his hand came up as if he was about to grab my arm. Upon glancing towards the growing-ever-closer man, though, he changed the motion into one where his hand was pushing through his thick waves of dark hair.

"What do you mean, they're not there anymore?" He demanded in a hiss. "Where are they?"

I smiled to myself and stepped forward to greet the man.

"They're being dealt with, don't you worry."

I stepped forward before he could say anymore and smiled as I had been taught, holding out my hand to the man who seemed a bit stunned that I had approached him first. The wind blew the pine smell of the trees towards me but there was something in that very faint scent that felt familiar, even when it was masked by the pine needle scent.

"Hi," I greeted him brightly. "I'm detective Beatrix Lally of Scotland Yard, England. Who are you?"

He seemed a bit dazed and slipped his hand into mine a bit hesitantly. I frowned. Were all men here like this? They seemed to be.

"Wu." Was all he managed to get out before the Grimm stepped up behind me.

"She's with me, Wu." He hustled me passed the small man and towards a small huddle of forensics in their forensic clothes and caps, with their little gloves on. They were huddled around a brutally murdered body. I stiffened and stopped when the smell of fresh blood caught my attention. I wanted to gag. The smell was always sickening.

I resisted the urge to turn into the Grimms shoulder and bury my face into his protection when the body came into view. I winced as I smelt the smell, saw the horrible result of some foul event.

There was that scent again.

"What have we got here?" The Grimm stopped me right next to the body and turned to forensics. They turned and gave him an affectionate smile. Something twisted deep in my gut. I pressed my hand hard against my abdomen, hoping nobody would notice I was now slightly hunched over. I couldn't be seen as weak, or the Grimm would take advantage of me. He would see me as pathetic and use my weaknesses to his advantage. They had warned me against that.

"Looks like he died from a frenzied and, may I say, quite brutal attack." One of the younger ones explained to the Grimm, her wavy blonde hair slipping out of her net. She peered up at him with wide, innocent blue eyes and I tried not to look in her direction. Wasn't she too young to be doing this type of work? But the Grimm didn't even glance at her. He was too busy staring at the Vics body.

"Post mortem will reveal more, obviously." She continued hurriedly, as if trying to gain his attention back. I was shocked by the sudden stab of smugness that shot me in the gun, right in the knot that had formed there. _Like she'd ever had it in the first place_.

I glared down at my stomach like it was its fault I was thinking these things.

"Anything to id him on?" The Grimm asked, moving closer to the body. I didn't like him being so close to the murder victim. I tried to convince myself that that was because I was worried about what he, as a Grimm, would do to mutilate it further.

I couldn't.

Good lord I was so pathetic.

"No, nothing." The small man came up behind us and the blonde girl effectively lost all of the Grimms attention she might have had. "No drivers license, wallet, passport. Somebody didn't want him to be known."

"Of course not." I spoke without thinking, and everybody looked at me like they'd forgotten I was there. But the Grimm stayed hunched over the body, only briefly glancing at me to make sure I was still there. He'd been looking at me every minute and a half or so. If he thought I hadn't noticed, he'd been sadly mistaken.

With my confidence now back on top form, I stepped forward confidently and joined the Grimm squatted down next to the victims body. I tried to ignore the smell.

"You said it was a frenzied and brutal attack, right?" I didn't want to bring attention back to the pretty blonde, so I just kept looking up and down the body, my nose plugged against the smell of decay and blood. "Clearly not preplanned. It was probably done in the heat of the moment. Once that moment is over, the attacker panics. Clearly this person has watched enough detective shows or maybe has some knowledge in this area. Enough to know he's got to get rid of the id. So what does he do?" I felt around the victims body, shoving open his jacket and feeling my way into his stiff jeans pockets, caked in blood. "Searches the body, grabs all the paper he can find and chucks it..." I paused as I straightened up, narrowing my eyes around the surrounding area. Slowly, I lifted my hand and pointed over in the directions of the woods surrounding us. "Over there. It'd be quite far out, away from the 'beaten path' as it were, because clearly the attackers got to be some strong person to have beaten up a guy this big. So a good throw, and enough sense to realize its gotta be away from plain sight. That area there is perfect for a spur of the moment murder."

"Clearly." Wu repeated as if he was dreaming. The Grimm was now looking at me with shock, awe, and something else I couldn't quite identify.

I looked expectantly at them.

"Well?" I demanded eventually. "Aren't you going to go see if I'm right?"

There was a sudden scramble as people started to move towards the forest. People I would never have expected to start looking. Didn't they have their own jobs and responsibilities to be getting on with?

But the Grimm stayed.

"Impressive." He murmured when they'd all wandered out of ear shot. "Did you do this?"

I scowled at him.

"No, of course not. I've never killed an innocent person before."

The Grimm looked at the body at his feet. He scuffed at the dirt and I wondered if he had the same urge I had to kick the body. Probably not, now that I thought about it.

"He might not have been innocent."

"Who actually is?" I muttered.

Suddenly, a wind picked up once more whilst I was breathing normally, and this was a big one. One that pushed at you and swirled all the dirt and the pine needles up around me. And the smells.

My head snapped up. My eyes narrowed. My senses tingled. I growled.

Quickly dropping to the victims side, I very gently and subtly smelled up and down his body, almost recoiling at the amount I could smell on him. I growled an even deeper, throatier growl.

"What?" The Grimm came up behind me. "What is it? Are you _smelling _the victims body? What are you smelling for? Can you smell anything?"

I growled and whipped around to face him.

"Are you telling me you can't?" I demanded, turning back to the victims body. "Stupid Grimms and their stupid, god-awful senses." I turned around again. "How can you not smell that?"

I shot to my feet again, just as the crowd of people started to come towards us again, waving wallets and drivers licenses and other types of id around in the air for all to see.

I could smell it again, stronger this time, coming from the forest. They were still here. They were watching us. My gut knotted even more, I started to become light headed and unable to think straight. All I could think about was keeping the Grimm safe. I didn't have time to analyse this abominable feeling.

I spun around to face him and grasped his arms, pulling him towards me so that we were almost nose to nose.

"Listen to me." I said carefully, quickly, and I felt his arms tremble as if he was trying to restrain something. Next thing I knew, his arms were around my waist, pressing me against him, and his forehead was against mine. We both seemed to relax at the contact. I wasn't going to analyse _that _either.

"Listen very carefully." I repeated. "Stay here. Stay here with the others, in the clearing. With the others." Why was I repeating everything? Had I suddenly become stupid? "If they go somewhere else, go somewhere else. Make sure you're with at least five other people at each given moment, do you understand me?"

He was breathing deeply.

"What, why?" He demanded. "Are you okay? Whats going on?"

"Something I have to deal with alone." I told him. "You couldn't handle it. You're too weak and useless. Just promise you'll do what I just told you, no matter what you hear, see, or think you hear or see. Promise me."

"Tell me whats going on, Beatrix." He demanded savagely, not releasing me. "I'm not weak and useless! I'm stronger than most people!"

"Promise me!"

"I promise!" He yelled out before I thought he had even chance to think. It seemed like an automatic reaction to me. People were reaching us now. I had to go sort this out. And quickly, before people got the chance to think I actually liked this Grimm. He was just using me. Taking advantage of my sudden weakness. Had he put something in that sandwich I had had last night? When had I last eaten? Maybe that was the reason I was acting so crazy.

"Good." I nodded, firmly, before wrenching myself out of his grip. "Good. You keep your promises, you horrible, filthy, lying Grimm." I added the extra derogatory words to remind myself what he really was. Nobody else around us seemed to notice. He himself seemed a bit confused, dazed. Wary. Scared.

I turned away from him and started jogging down the hill towards the forest. The smell was getting stronger. I could see their shadows moving. How had they gotten so close without me noticing?

"And no matter what happens," I called over my shoulder. "Make sure that car is okay!"


End file.
